Related Artists

Earth and Water 5: Ceramic Art in the St. Croix Valley

Northern Clay Center (NCC) and The Phipps continued their three-year exhibition partnership aimed at increasing the profile of ceramic artists located throughout the lower St. Croix River Valley watershed. This cross-state collaboration featured two to three ceramic artists annually in the Atrium Gallery at The Phipps. In addition, featured artists will present an artist talk prior to each opening reception and a workshop or demonstration event.

Guillermo Cuellar is the fifth artist to participate in this collaboration. Born in Maracaibo, Venezuela, Cuellar studied ceramics at Cornell College, Mt. Vernon, Iowa, where he earned a BA in Art. After working as an environmentalist, he returned to pottery in 1980. In 1986, Cuellar set up a studio in the village of Turgua, Venezuela, an hour southeast of the capital city, Caracas, where he made pots for the following 18 years. In 1981, he worked as an assistant to Warren MacKenzie, who was teaching in Caracas. Subsequently, Cuellar regularly shared studio experience with MacKenzie in Stillwater, Minnesota, from 1984 to 2006. In 2005, Cuellar and his wife, Laurie MacGregor, and children, Carlos and Alana, established a home, studio, and showroom near Shafer, Minnesota, where he currently makes pots. Cuellar participates as one of seven host-studios on the Minnesota Potters of the upper St. Croix Valley Annual Pottery Tour.

Located in downtown Hudson on the wild and scenic St. Croix River, The Phipps Center for the Arts is the premier art center in the St. Croix Valley. The Phipps presents professional visual arts and music programming, theater, and dance to audiences drawn from the Twin Cities area, Western Wisconsin, and beyond. The $7 million facility was built and funded by the William H. Phipps Foundation, area individuals, corporations, foundations, and other organizations. Northern Clay Center is excited to have The Phipps as a partner, and for the opportunity to advance the ceramic arts, while expanding its reach into Wisconsin.